Crack the case: the statistics test

1- In order to do better on her next test instead of only memorizing formulas without
proper understanding of the concepts taught in class, Cassandra should change her
studying strategies and focus on how to use each formula in the problems presented to
her. Therefore, it would be very beneficial if she understood each concept and
formula and the purpose of using this formula. For example, if she needs to calculate
the mean of a class’s test scores she should know that she has to add up all the scores
and divide them by “n” the number of students in the class. Cassandra needs to
understand what each symbol in the formula corresponds to, she shouldn’t rely on
memorization solely instead she has to understand the strategies used by the teacher to
solve each problem. Also, she should practice on exercises that are similar to the ones
she has on the test, try to takes notes in class, understand the definition of each term
and do not hesitate to ask for help if she didn’t understand a certain concept or
weren’t able to solve an exercise.

2- Working on practice problems of each type would most likely help Cassandra on her
next statistic test since by practicing more she would be able to build a deeper
understanding of the material assigned. Also, with frequent practice solving these
problem would become similar to an automatic response since she wouldn’t have to
spend the same amount of time as she did on her first problem. For example, if you’re
solving a math exercise and you’re using new formulas for the first time you would
take your time to know how and when to apply the formula you have instead after
solving a bunch of similar problems it would be easier for you to solve it since you
already understood the concept and how to apply it. This is due to the formation of
neural pathways in the brain in response to practicing a certain skill like solving a
statistics problem. By practicing more, Casandra is building her own strategies of
solving these problems and this would make it easier for her the next time she is
presented with similar exercises. These strategies could be like reading the problem
carefully first, highlighting the keywords and thinking how she will use each number
or formula written in front of her.

3- The best teaching strategy that could guarantee that students would most likely score
well on their test is by making students understand what the formulas mean by solving
several problems in class instead of relying on total memorization only. That’s
because when a students memorize a formula without understanding the reason
behind using it or how to apply it he/she would most likely forget the formula or
won’t be able to solve the problem. Understanding is key to learning, if I don’t
understand a certain concept and the purpose behind it I won’t be able to score high
on a test nor apply this concept later in the future. If I build an understanding of what
each formula mean and I practice using it I would be able to solve any problem I
might encounter in the test. If students only focused on memorizing the formula
they’re most likely going to face difficulties during the test just like Cassandra who
did not understand the meaning of the formulas she has memorized.

4- It’s very important to ask students to explain their answers since by communicating
their facts, ideas, and ways of thinking the teacher would be assessing their learning
experience and would be able to correct them if they got something wrong or help
them find better learning strategies that might save them time and have less
probability of errors. Also, by asking a student how he got his answer the teacher
 would know if the student understood the concept taught in class or if he copied or got
the right answer by chance. Sometimes students might get the correct answer by
chance but their way of thinking might be wrong (they did not understand the
material). When a students communicate their way of thinking it would help them
remember the concept for later use and better understand it since by explaining their
answer it would make more sense to them.

5- Transfer occurs when an individual applies previous experiences and knowledge to

learning or problem solving in a new situation. If students aren’t able to transfer their
classroom knowledge to the outside it means they didn’t not build a proper
understanding of the material given in class. The notion of “transfer” is very
important in the educational field to unsure that students are able to translate the
knowledge acquired in the classroom into valuable skills later in their workplace or
any other new environments such as another class. For example, if a student was able
to use a concept he learned in his math class later in his science class it means
“transfer” has occurred and the student has deeply understood the concept presented
to him and was able to apply it in different situations. This is the ultimate purpose of
education, which is exposing students to different information and ideas that they can
benefit from and apply to several situations later in their life.